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(What would you think of dispatching a note such as this one to prospects who have requested information and price quotes? Please let me know! -G- )
Thank you for your inquiry.
We sincerely appreciate it, and we are in the process of responding.
Here’s what we intend to do:
(1) Once we understand your needs, we’ll write a proposal.
(2) This proposal will contain our best price. We don’t negotiate discounts.
(3) If awarded your business, we’ll give our best efforts, for which we ask to be paid on time, without additional prompting.
(4) If at any time you believe we aren’t performing at an acceptable level, please tell us promptly, and we’ll make appropriate adjustments.
(5) When we have fulfilled our responsibilities, we will offer your name as a reference to future customers, who may wish to speak to you about our work. But we will not offer your name without believing that your reference will be pertinent and valued.
After submitting our proposal, we will not chase you, hound you, call you incessantly, or leave multiple emails or voice mails. That would be inefficient and bothersome, and it would force us to raise our prices for all customers, including you.
If you like our proposal, please let us know, promptly. If you don’t, we’d still like to hear from you, because it would save us time, and give us valuable feedback as to how we missed the mark, so in this way, you’d help us to improve.
If you like how we sound so far, we’ll be delighted to take the next step with you. Please let us know, specifically how we can be of service and what your needs are.
In the meantime, thank you again, for considering us!
Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, “The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable,” published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC’s Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He holds the rank of Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.
The great thing about Riverside is the abundance of cozy coffee shops. Granted the large chains have made themselves known, but it’s the Mom and Pop shops that have really thrived amid the city. Downtown you can find a variety of different coffee houses including popular names, the artsy bohemian, the quiet and quaint, and the drive-thru shops for customers on-the-go.
One of the best side effects of growing businesses is their initiative to getting their business online as well. Not only can you find out where your favorite shop is, but you can usually track down a menu as well.
In the cases of shops that offer live music, there is often an opportunity to stay up to date with online event calendars. Naturally this is great opportunity for website design in Riverside because it is one business promoting another. And let’s face it, in a small town it’s needed.
Things to remember are that the customer will want to know what you have to offer first and foremost in the way of a menu. Second, the customer will want to know if you offer more than coffee; for example can they stop in and have lunch there. Lastly they’ll want to know what differentiates you from the others, so be sure to keep your business themed after an original idea and not merely a mirror or what already exists.
The trade of Joe Johnson for Boris Diaw and 2 first round picks was recently concluded by the Hawks and Suns, after being initially held up. Steve Belkin, a member of the Hawks ownership group, did not want to make the trade, and attempted to stop it. However, the other owners wanted the trade and pushed Belkin out of his ownership role in order to get it done. Despite this, Belkin’s reservations about the trade may have been justified. Don’t get me wrong, once the Hawks let word get out about this trade, they had to make it if they wanted to retain any fans at all. You don’t often find a good, young player willing to relocate to possibly the worst franchise in all of basketball. However, I said good, not great.
Joe Johnson averaged 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 17 points per game last year. The year before, he averaged 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 17 points. These numbers look awfully similar, except for the assists, which went down because of Nash. Is it possible that Joe Johnson has already reached his peak? The Hawks are paying him 70 million dollars over 5 years, or 14 million per year. That’s not the type of money you give a guy who averages 17 points,4 assists, and 5 boards. Richard Hamilton averaged better numbers than that with 19 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists per game, and he only makes 9 million dollars per season.
So the Hawks are clearly paying Johnson in the expectation that he is going to get better. This does not seem like an unfair expectation because he is only 24 years old, and if he were a player whose numbers went up in every season, the Hawks would be justified in believing it. But, his numbers only went up once; from the 2002 to 2003 season. Coincidentally, this was the season in which his playing time went up from 27.5 minutes per games to 40 minutes per game. During the 2002 season, he averaged 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists per game. In the 2003 season, he averaged 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 17 points per game. However, when you adjust his numbers from the 2002 season to averages per 40 minutes, you can say he averaged 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. Contrast this to his 2003 season stats, a season in which he played 40 minutes per game, and you see almost no improvement. So although his stats jumped, it was due to a playing time increase, not due to his skills improving.
So basically what the Hawks have now is a man who, while young, has never shown any improvement in his entire pro career. This means that he may not get any better. He is a good player now, but he will be vastly overpaid if he does not get any better. You also have to look at the mindset of a person who would want to be traded from the Suns, which are a good team where he is the fourth fiddle, to the Hawks, which are a bad team, but one on which he is the top guy. I know he had issues with management in Phoenix over his contract status, but he could have been traded to another team. Plenty of teams would have jumped at the chance to add him. The fact that he chose the Hawks may mean he is an underachiever who simply wants to make his money and coast along, never doing anything special. This could be bad for the Hawks in the long run, as they have a young core who could be influenced by Johnson, and his contract could become a weight on their salary cap.
Although I have been saying Johnson is overpaid and an underachiever this whole article, he does have good qualities. He is a big swingman who can play both guard spots and the small forward spot. He would be an immediate upgrade for the Hawks at the point guard spot where Tyronn Lue was decent, but not good, last year. He would also give the franchise hope, which is more than the Hawks have had for a while. They seem to be in constant rebuilding mode, but Johnson could give them a piece to build around. However, all this is contingent on Johnson’s improvement. If Johnson can get better, this trade will look good for the Hawks. If he doesn’t, the Hawks will end up regretting this deal, as they have with so many other signings.
In order to get Johnson, the Hawks gave up Boris Diaw and 2 lottery picks. Boris Diaw will be a decent backup for the Suns, who have little depth with Kurt Thomas and Jim Jackson/Raja Bell in the starting lineup. He will let the starters get a little bit of rest, something they didn’t have much of last year. Remember, he was a first round pick 2 years ago, so he could be a good player. The trade also includes 2 first round draft picks, which the Hawks, as a rebuilding team, should never have given up. The Suns lost a top playmaker on their team, and didn’t really get anything immediate in return. Diaw will give them depth, but they want to win now, and thus the picks are puzzling. However, the second Joe Johnson said he was disgruntled in Phoenix, he forced Phoenix’s hand, and they had to move him, even if draft picks and a backup piece were all they could get.
The Hawks got Johnson for less than market value, but they are paying him more than market value. This trade leaves the Hawks improved, but the franchise’s future, at least for the next 5 years, is tied to Joe Johnson. If he gets better, the team gets better. If he doesn’t, well then the Hawks will still be the Hawks. Giving up the picks has made it clear that the Hawks intend to win with the core they have now, which is a dicey proposition. I see the Hawks as a 30 win team next year, which is a considerable improvement. As for the Suns, giving up Johnson has left a hole in their lineup. If they can get Michael Finley to fill it, there will be almost no drop-off, and they will be on pace to do as well as last year. If they don’t land Finley, they will have to turn to Raja Bell or Jim Jackson, who are considerably less talented, at least at the offensive end, than Johnson. In this scenario, the Suns would make the playoffs, but with a low seed. This is a trade that had to be made; the Suns had to get rid of a disgruntled potential troublemaker, and the Hawks had to add a young talent who wanted to play in Atlanta.
Vikas Paruchuri is a sports columnist who writes on the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB. He maintains a website at http://www.thehomefield.com with sports analysis and opinion columns.
Perhaps the most simple, convenient and affordable form of insurance that exists for a specified tenure is Term life insurance. Term life insurance is insurance for a short period of time and is deemed to be pure protection, as it builds no cash value. If the insurer dies within the specified duration of the insurance, the death benefit goes to his or her beneficiary. As the term expires the insurer is not required to payout.
Term life insurance is an incredibly beneficial policy. The policy has proved its worth at the time of natural disasters and other calamities. For instance term life insurance was a great financial support and source of mental peace to the survivors of 9/11 and Katrina.
The popularity of term life insurance is witnessing a surge day by day. Term life insurance is cited as one of the hottest products in the latest Fitch ratings. As per the annual 2005 Review and 2006 Outlook for the US insurance industry, term life insurance is the hottest pick in the insurance industry today. In terms of Julie Burke, managing director, Fitch Ratings, “a product like term life insurance can create reserving and capital changes for insurers, which can be addressed by scale”.
The primary reason behind the booming popularity of term life insurance is a drop in the premium rates of the policy. Even though term life policy comes at very low interest rates yet a major drop in the premium rates of insurance is expected this year. According to Insurance Information Institute, the premium rates for insurance are expected to drop by 3 percent in 2006. The drop is a consequence of immense competition in the market and the diminishing mortality rate amongst human beings.
However the case is not the same in China. China Life Insurance Co. has increased the rates for term life product. China Life has increased the premium rate on the Kangning Term by 30%.
Lately Kanetix, Canada’s leading insurance marketplace and MetLife, renowned insurance company have made it to the news because of their new attempts in the field of term life insurance. Kanetix has launched a new term life insurance quote service, with standard and preferred rates highlighted for insurance shoppers. The quotes are in an easy-to-read and comparables format. The quotes are available for a coverage of $250,000 and above and the preferred rates can cause saving of up to 30% off the standard rate. According to the company nearly 50% of the people applying for life insurance coverage through the portal can benefit from some savings. The estimate so made is on behalf of the past study of the portal. The portal would permit the shoppers to review the price range offered and make an informed choice.
MetLife has come up with three term life insurance products for people who seek to have a non-permanent insurance. The three products are One Year Term Insurance, Scheduled Term Insurance and Level Term Insurance. These three forms are ideal for individuals who require a large insurance cover but have limited budgets.
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Mansi Aggarwal recommends you visit Term Life Insurance News for more information. |
Property Index is an online platform that gives buyers access to thousands of properties www.propertyindex.com. Property in Spain is currently booming so browse the range on offer at Property Index.
Even if Property Index is only a pretty young firm, (they were registered only in March 2007), they have proven their mettle very quickly. In point of fact a extraordinarily informal firm entirely concentrated on looking after every client aiming to buy, sell, etc. real property across the world. Their assurance is to be of assistance to you to determine smack what’s desired quickly and, to boot, sans pain. Real estate is available for the asking in most parts of the world at present, possibly the fanciest area being property for sale in Spain. It should really be easy as ABC to list a slew of the sensational properties available for sale in Spain, one argument for picking realty here being a combination of the houses and apartments for sale and the sensational option of being able to live surrounded by this spirited, animated and energetic population.
It’s one of the truly fashionable markets at present, and in view of the beauty and the climate surrounding you here, how could you conceivably be wrong? Real estate in Spain is steeped in history, this part of the world has been and still is home to quite a few sophisticated cultures. Only 25 years ago there was a mere dribble of English people who are looking for properties in Spain. Just ask about anyone who has emigrated to Spain and they’ll certainly back this up. Quite a few people would insist on seeing it as a brief fashion and others insist on seeing it as a that’s nearly an obsession! People who are looking to migrate to this area will range from yuppies in search of an exciting new challenge to retirees intending to rest.
Note that there may well be snags when trying to purchase properties in a foreign country: expectably there are 100s of heterogeneous, frequently conflicting, actions when strategising, sightseeing or buying and completing. If you miss out on one minor action it may give rise to huge snags and, even more importantly, financial loss. Obviously, as can be anticipated with this trendy place, properties can be very expensive in this area which is solely on account of the steep buyer demand. In spite of this the patron truly is spoilt in terms of choice in a location so wonderful in terms of fun geography and sunny setting. Certainly it offers the whole lot a buyer might long for and more.
The more I converse with people the more I understand that you really need to take an active role in your healthcare. We all assume that the Doctor we choose knows exactly what is going on with our health issues and knows best how to keep us in tip-top shape. I haven’t met anyone yet who will give me the thumbs up in this category. We need to be pro-active in what our physical, mental and emotional body needs. Part one dealt with attitude adjustments and in this I will attempt to guide you in a direction to decipher some of the physical needs.
A good honest rapport with your doctor is a must. If you have a doctor you fear or will not work with your choices of care such as nutritional supplements and/or chiropractic, you may consider the need to change doctors. Some do not believe in what supplements can do, yet behind the scenes they utilize them for themselves and their families. You can also agree to disagree and keep them to do your blood work and perform the necessary tests to help guide your success in this aging process.
The place to begin this treasure hunt of health is with your blood work. Mid Life offers a great deal of change in all aspects of your life. Finding out your baseline in all areas of body function will guide you in the necessary changes you need to make concerning diet, exercise, meds or supplements and whatever therapies would be beneficial for optimum aging performance.
What do I mean by baselines?
For bones: Dexa Scan
Colon: Colonoscopy
For Women: Mammogram and Pap smear
Blood Work: on top of the usual add C-Reactive Protein, Homocysteine, Fibrinogen, and HGBA1C, Also a complete hormone panel that includes DHEA
Teeth; Complete dental evaluation
Eyes: Complete exam and check for Cataracts, Macular Degeneration
Glaucoma.
It would be really great if you have been health conscious all along but whether you have or not the above is truly a great way to determine where you are now and what is necessary for quality of life for the next chapter of your anti-aging process. Knowing is half the battle and no matter how hard you try denial doesn’t do a positive thing for you. You need to give yourself permission to take care of yourself as well as you do others in your life. Start removing negative things from your life whether it is food, friends, stuff or inactivity. Get excited about yourself. Dress for living! Wear all those clothes that you know you look good in but only save for special occasions. Today you are special and wait no longer. Make better choices of people you want around you, foods that will taste good and offer your body a helping hand. Don’t be afraid to take an active role in yourself. Don’t wait for it to be asked of you or to be in trouble before you find out you need to alter your lifestyle. Get quiet, self evaluate and don’t think you’re above needing changes. There is always something you could improve on. Aging does funky things to everyone and knowledge along with action is the only things that can keep your changes to a minimum. In the process of aging, ignorance is not bliss. See you for Part 3 or head over to www.aging-baby-boomer-guide.com for more right now!
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Marge Pickering-Picone is a Nutrition Consultant for Professional Nutrition Services of Rochester, Inc. and the Founder of http://www.aging-baby-boomer-guide.com which is a website for the Baby Boomer to find reliable information for facing the changes that are fast approaching. |
Finding a rental home can be a problem in some markets. If there aren’t many houses or duplexes available for rent or lease when compared to the number of people coming to the area to live and work, you may have a hard time finding suitable housing. A possible solution is to find a competent property manager.
Property managers are real estate professionals who handle the renting and leasing of homes and residences. Ideally, one should look for a real estate property management company which specializes in home rentals. Most real estate companies are involved in sales almost exclusively. Both areas, management and sales, are highly specialized and require dedication to sales or to rentals. It is difficult to be competent in both.
When a person or family is relocating to a new area, the first thing to do is find a place to live. Unless one intends to buy immediately, the choices are to rent or stay with friends or relatives.
There are basically two ways to rent. One is to stay in a hotel for a short term. Cost of daily rent is important here. The other way is to rent a dwelling. This is where property managers are important.
A competent property manager is one who realizes that each time the phone rings, there is a person with a problem, at the other end. Usually the problem is that the caller needs a place to live and wants help finding it. The property manager then becomes a rental agent and begins doing the job that is the basis for the rental housing industry.
A good rental agent will make the caller feel important. The agent needs to hear what the caller needs by asking enough questions to determine things like when and where. The amount of the rent budget is another important consideration.
Once these items are revealed by the caller, then it is up to the agent to help the person find these locations and see if they are acceptable. If an agent has an inventory of vacancies, he may have a better chance of making the sale, or in this case, the rental.
After the paper work is done and the new resident has moved in he should be able to expect that the manager will be responsive to his maintenance needs. Since the property manager is usually working for the owner, it is his job to protect the owner’s investment by keeping the property in good repair.
The resident should be able to reach the managers office business days and should be able to reach a contact at any time in an emergency. Usually, voice mail, answering machines and answering services serve as the emergency contact.
Choosing a rental agent to help you get relocated is an important job and usually begins with a phone call. The home rental agency (property manager) may get only one chance to make a good first impression. When the call is answered, look for a friendly voice that can help you now. If that doesn’t happen then you may ask why that person answered and move on to the next number.
Finding a rental agent is as easy as looking in the yellow pages of the phone book or on the internet. The key is in knowing where in the yellow pages to look. Rental homes are real estate. Two categories to look under are “Real Estate Rental Service” and “Real Estate Management.” Rental-service is the most accurate choice. Look for a display ad that tells you that the company offers what you are trying to find. Then make that important call and listen to the voice that answers.
Another place to look is the internet. The site should be easy to navigate and should show you some properties to garner your interest. It should also provide you with a way to write the company and get a response. And finally, the site should give you a phone number to call to reach the rental agent who can help you get the home for you to move into.
A third way to find a rental agent is in the Sunday real estate section of the newspaper. Look for duplexes, and homes, unfurnished. The agency that is really interested in attracting your attention is the one that makes it easy for you to spot and contact them. Things like bold print, a phone number and a name are signs that they want your call.
Then make the call and don’t be afraid to explain your situation. The more the agent knows about what you need, the better he can help you find your next home.
Mickey Lavy is the co-owner of Bluebonnet Properties property management in Waco, TX. He is also a licensed real estate broker and owns a number of rental properties in the Waco area.
http://www.bluebonnetprop.com
Bunbury and the South West area of Western Australia (or WA) is one of the world’s great places to live, with a Mediterranean climate, sandy-white beaches, beautiful native forests and all the infrastructure expected of a modern western society.
Bunbury is the major city in WA’s South West region, that is also home to other centres such as Busselton, Margaret River, Donnybrook, Manjimup, Augusta, Pemberton, Collie, Harvey and Bridgetown.
Located 175km south of Perth, the city and its neighboring suburbs have a population of 52,000 and Bunbury is one of Australia’s fastest growing cities. Bunbury is the commercial hub to WA’s “South West”, an area that is home to the Margaret River wine region and major coal, alumina and mineral sands industries; a region that boasts around 8,000 businesses and a GDP of over $5 billion. Presently it is about a 2 hour drive from Perth to Bunbury, but this will be reduced by 30 minutes on the completion of the recently announced Bunbury Highway or Peel Deviation.
Western Australia is Australia’s largest state, comprising about one-third of Australia’s land mass and occupying over 2.5 million square kilometres in area. WA is divided into 10 regional areas – the South West, Mid West, North West, Peel, Wheatbelt, Great Southern, Goldfields-Esperance, Pilbara, Gascoyne and Kimberley.
Outside Perth, Bunbury is Western Australia’s next largest city. It boasts a thriving CBD shopping and business area that is these days more famous for its many restaurants and cafés, or as it is referred to locally – The Cappuccino Strip, and more recently the fast developing Marlston waterfront area that already includes the upmarket Vat 2 restaurant, Taffy’s “live” confectionary outlet, Barbados tavern and nightclub, Jiving J’s waterfront bar and eatery and “Surprise Chef” Aristos’s own seafood boardwalk.
Many restaurants are open early and close late, with the remainder open in the evenings from around 6pm and for lunch around 12-2pm. There’s a bevy of fast-food options both within the city area and in the Bunbury suburbs, and Bunbury is well known for its family-owned pizza stores in the city area.
Enjoying a mild Mediterranean climate, the city is bordered by the Indian Ocean, Koombana Bay and Leschenault inlet and naturally enough water sports, port and harbour facilities as well as a growing seafoods industry, feature highly in the local lifestyle and economy. Bunbury’s port is Australia’s ninth largest port by volume and by 2020 should be rated within the nation’s top five.
Thousands of years ago Bunbury was subject to lava flows which resulted in both the unique basalt rock formations on the city beach as well as the present Marlston Hill and Boulters Heights, where today some of Bunbury’s most exclusive residential real estate is located. Bunbury is also home to Australia’s southernmost mangroves and the world’s last native Tuart forest is just south of Bunbury.
The first recorded mapping of what is now Koombana Bay and the eventual City of Bunbury, was in 1803 by the French explorers Nicolas Baudin and Louis de Freycinet, from their ships the Geographe and Casuarina. In 1831 there was a temporary English military settlement with the first settlers moving to the area named after Lieutenant Henry William St Pierre Bunbury in 1838. A growing port serviced the settlers and the subsequent local industries that developed.
The area is the traditional land of the Noongar Aboriginal people with many Noongar names and travel routes still widely used today. The Noongar (which means “man”) people have occupied the south west area of Western Australia for around 38,000 years and their traditional stories tell of the Waagle (or Rainbow Serpent) giving life and sustenance to their people who in return were the caretakers of the land.
Bunbury is truly a water-lifestyle city being bordered by the Indian Ocean, Koombana Bay and Leschenault Inlet and fed by the Collie and Preston Rivers; making watersports such as sailing, water skiing, fishing, wind surfing, diving and snorkelling, boating, rowing, swimming, surfing and jet skiing extremely popular.
Bunbury is a great place to live, and especially so for families. There’s plenty to do and there’s a wide range of education options, with government and independent pre-primary, primary and secondary schools as well as a TAFE College and a campus of Edith Cowan University.
There are numerous property choices in the Bunbury area ranging from trendy cosmopolitan apartments to traditional suburban family homes and from beach retreats to rural or semi-rural properties.
There is a wide variety of attractions, with Bunbury the home of the Dolphin Discovery Centre where you can learn about and interact with wild dolphins, whilst in 2005 the city hopes to host a round of the Formula Nippon motor racing circuit. There is an indoor skate centre, ten pin bowling, cinema within the CBD area with the Bunbury Entertainment Centre alongside. Bunbury boasts a major aquatic and fitness centre with a smaller indoor pool located at Australind. You can get a good view of Bunbury and the surrounding areas from the Apex Lookout Tower at Marlston Hill or at Boulters Heights, right alongside the city centre.
Bunbury is home to up to 90 bottlenose dolphins and visitors can wade in Koombana Bay while dolphins swim amongst you or you can take one of the Dolphin Discovery Centre’s “Swim with the Dolphins” cruises. Bunbury is one of the few places where wild dolphins freely visit the beach and interract with humans.
There are 9 secondary schools in the central Bunbury area, a campus of Edith Cowan University, TAFE College, several shopping centres, sporting grounds and major private and public hospitals.
Shops are normally open 8.30am-5.30pm Monday to Friday and 8.30am-5.00pm Saturdays with late night shopping until 9pm on Thursday. The Eaton Fair Shopping Centre in Bunbury’s north-eastern suburbs has extended trading hours 7 days a week. Banks only operate 10am – 4pm Monday through Thursday and until 5pm on Fridays, although credit and building societies normally also open on Saturday mornings. There are a host of automatic teller machines and bank agencies dotted in and around Bunbury.
To get around Bunbury there are ample modern taxis, a public bus transport service and more recently a tourist “tram” that will carry you about the city areas and give you an explanation of the local sites as you go. The Bunbury Visitor Centre in Carmody Street near Centrepoint Shopping Centre will also assist with additional maps and local knowledge.
There are a number of Post Offices in the Bunbury area and postage stamps can also be purchased at local newsagencies. Postage for a standard letter, anywhere in Australia, is 50c.
Free to Air TV channels in Bunbury are the ABC, GWN, WIN and SBS but many homes also receive the Perth networks 7, 9 and 10. Foxtel pay TV is also available in Bunbury. The electricity supply in Bunbury, like the rest of Australia, is 240v. While you are travelling you can be updated on Bunbury and the South West region by turning to Western Tourist Radio. In the Bunbury region turn to 98.4 FM.
City and suburban locations in the Bunbury area include Australind, Eaton, Dalyellup, Vittoria Heights, Marlston Hill, Clifton Park, Gelorup, Mangles, Leschenault, Crosslands, Sandridge Park, Glen Padden, South Bunbury, Withers, College Grove, Carey Park, Picton, Davenport and East Bunbury. There is a full listing of Bunbury real estate in the Bunbury Online real estate guide.
The Bunbury region of Western Australia includes the areas of Harvey, Capel, Dardanup, Binningup, Myalup, Burekup, Boyanup, Peppermint Grove Beach, Stratham, Yarloop, Wokalup, Benger, Brunswick, Roelands, Leschenault and the Ferguson Valley.
Bunbury is now also home to a substantial expat community from the USA, Canada, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana, however, the original human inhabitants of the South West area of WA are the Noongar Aboriginal people.
Today, as locals try to make sense of the established Western seasons, it is worthwhile examining the traditional Noongar seasons that divided the south west’s climate into 6 rather than 4 separate seasons.
In Noongar Aboriginal culture, Boojar (or land) is of the utmost importance. Each tribal group had their own kaleep or favoured camping locality, which held a special significence to them. The culture has a complex relationship to the land and pays respect to the seasons and the bountiful supply of food.
The Noongar year has six seasons, the first being from December to January. This season is called Birak where hot, easterly winds blow during the day and Noongar people used to burn sections of scrubland to force animals into the open to hunt.
From February to March, during Bunuru, the dry weather conditions meant Noongars moved to estuaries where fish constituted a large proportion of the seasonal diet.
During Djeran, in April to May, the weather was becoming cooler with winds from the south west. Fishing continued and bulbs and seeds were collected for food.
During the coldest season, Makuru (june to July), Noongars moved inland to hunt areas once rains had replenished inland water resources.
In Djilba, as the weather was becoming warmer from August to September, roots were collected and emus, possums and kangaroo were hunted.
In Kambarang, when rain was decreasing during October to November, families moved towards the coast where frogs, totoises and freshwater crayfish were caught.
You can learn more about Bunbury Western Australia by visiting – http://www.bunburyonline.com part of the WA Online network – “Building information bridges for Western Australian communities”.
About The Author
Keith Palmer is founder of the WA Online project whose aim is to build information bridges for Western Australian communities.
keith@skyaustralia.com.au
Bathroom scales can either be the bane of your existence or a constant encouragement of your progress. For those of us working to lose weight, we love to hop on the scale after a week of working out and eating right to bask in our progress. On the flip side, after a stressful week where we drowned our sorrows in a pint of chocolate ice cream, the bathroom scales is a little more intimidating.
Personally, I have never enjoyed having a scale in my bathroom. Weight goes up and down without too much rhyme or reason. I really don’t want to know if I have gained or lost 1 pound from one day to the next. I once read in a book that if you are trying to lose weight the best plan for weighing yourself is to hop on the bathroom scale every morning and then average your weight at the end of the week. Since weight can go up or down sporadically, averaging your weight will help you to get a more accurate picture of your progress. Alternately, you could do like I have and swear off bathroom scales. I only weigh myself at the gym before workouts to get motivated!
Southern Africa is a fascinating place, the open fields buzzing with lions and one of the smallest population ratios in the continent. South Africa comes with some of the best natural scenery in Africa, the outstanding blend of unmarked fields, terrain and swamps makes the full place come to life. Not only can you be amazed at the landscapes, one will additionally be graced at the pretty lakes and waterfalls. This is a real heaven on earth. Explore Zambia with a Zambia safari.
In South Africa one will be able to see the greatest waterfall of all, the Victoria Falls. This wonderful waterfall has been a location for countless big cats with many big cats & elephants coming to bathe in the clear waters that run here. Additionally make sure one view the crocodiles & hippos around the Zambezi River, & don’t forget to book a guide as the river might well be a tiny bit choppy. You may furthermore wish to book a driving tour in South Luangwa National Park and be upclose with the diverse wildlife. On a walking safari you yourself will see elephants & extraordinarily rare wild dogs. If you are lucky enough one shall view a heard of elephants with their young. The opportunity to be so close with these marvellous animals is amazing.
Accommodation in Southern Africa will range from five star chain hotels right through to huts without any showers. Whichever accommodation type you select one can be sure of a nice time.